Thomas Mor Headed For Reynoldstown En Route To Festival Bid

Thomas Mor could show he is the forgotten horse in the newbie chasing after division when he heads to Ascot for the Injured Jockeys Fund Ambassadors Programme Reynoldstown Novices' Chase on Saturday.


Philip Hobbs and Johnson White's course winner was 2nd to Kitzbuhel in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day and having seen Kempton third, Wendigo, and fourth, Salver, frank the kind since, are buoyant ahead of this Grade Two occasion which could function as a springboard to the Cheltenham Festival.


White stated: "The kind has actually been increased given that Christmas, I was really amazed when looking at the Brown Advisory betting to see he is 100-1 and a few of the horses that have been behind him and not too far in front are single figures.


"He remains in excellent type and schooled well on Tuesday early morning and returns to Ascot which is a course he won well at on his penultimate start. Conditions need to match and he's 10lb greater than anything else on rankings so we need to be enthusiastic.


"We'll get Saturday out the method initially before we consider Cheltenham however at the minute we are believing of the Grade One.


"This has actually constantly been the race we wanted for him after Kempton and we're quite eagerly anticipating the track we are taking."


Thomas Mor has wise course form (Andrew Matthews/PA)


Hobbs and White could also be represented at Ascot by the well-regarded Starzand in the opening Betfair Novices' Hurdle, a race the stable won with Sporting John back in 2020.


Meanwhile, French Ship, another of the Minehead operation's leading lights, is likely to test the waters in graded company at Haydock when heading to the north west for the ZYN Rendlesham Hurdle.


"He'll most likely go to Haydock rather than the Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton," continued White.


"It will be competitive but he remains in good form and he's run well at Haydock in the past, so there's no factor not to be thinking that method.


"He remains in fantastic kind and schooled over a number of difficulties on Tuesday morning. We could not be better with him and thrilled to see how he gets on."